A health alert under the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was triggered on 4 March 2024, following a notification issued by the Spanish authorities, reporting the detection of the hepatitis A virus in strawberries imported from Morocco. Since then, an escalation of reactions has marked the past week.
On the Moroccan side, ONSSA, the food safety authority, has denied the existence of any trace of hepatitis A or Norovirus in Moroccan production, following extensive and generalized testing of farms and packing houses. The Moroccan Minister of Agriculture also denied "the rumors and false information circulating on certain websites and social networks". The Moroccan association of red fruit producers went so far as to accuse the media and Spanish producers of orchestrating a smear campaign targeting the Moroccan product.
The ramifications of the incident do not end there. According to several industry sources based in the Larache region, Morocco's main strawberry-growing region, ONSSA has informed exporters of a new temporary requirement for exporting soft fruit. An exporter reports, "From now on, we are required to provide negative test results for hepatitis A and Norovirus. An individual test must be carried out for each truck and grower. If I export a truckload of three batches from three different farms, I'll need three tests. If I export three truckloads from the same farm, I'll need three tests as well. This is in addition to the tests we usually pay for, such as those for pesticide residues."
He continued: "I think this is an exaggerated measure, that falls under the heading of zealousness and self-sabotage, especially as it has been proven that both viruses are absent from Moroccan farms. This makes our work and the campaign extremely difficult. It takes up to 10 days to obtain test results, not to mention the additional cost of 400 euros per test. It's a measure that doesn't fit in with the pace of work in the sector, where the time between order, harvest, and delivery doesn't exceed a few days, and prices are set weekly."
Another exporter said, "I can see the point of this measure. We don't understand the actions of the Spanish side, and we don't know how far they will go to harm the industry in Morocco. So we need to ensure that we have individual tests for each shipment to prove the absence of contamination in the event of a new accusation."
He adds: "That said, this measure is slowing down exports considerably. The approved laboratories that can carry out the tests are few in number and have limited capacity in terms of daily tests. Not to mention the extra cost for exporters, which can reach up to 100,000 euros a month for some of them."
The new measure applies not only to strawberries but also to raspberries, blueberries, and other soft fruits. Exporters are expressing their concerns about the impact it may have on the blueberry season, especially as the strawberry season is coming to an end, and call for this requirement to be lifted as soon as possible.